The wedding was beautiful. The bride and groom surrounded by the people of the village in the setting of nature and impending night. As the two spoke their vows, the stars shone brightly, contrasting the pink-orange setting sun greatly. Afterwards there was a call for dancing. It was unlike any wedding dance that she had been to, and Hannah relished it. It was wonderful. So wonderful that she felt she could not take part in it. She watched the family dance, finally complete as well as they could be. They were happy, she was not. There was no way she could dampen their spirits now. So she smiled and quietly left. She walked down the sandy beaches and as she sat down feeling the sand beneath her toes, she began to dream.
In her imagination, her soul left her body resting on the beach and continued to walk, relishing the feeling of sand and water combined. She smiled and continued to walk as she approached the boy standing there at the water's edge, throwing rocks against the tide. His crisp white shirt was open and his pant legs were rolled up, allowing his tanned legs to feel knee-length water. He turned to her and smiled. "How are you Miss Ross?" He asked, his green eyes gleaming. She smiled and grabbed a rock from between her toes, pitching it into the ocean waves. "Alright. I've been better." She said with a smile. Thomas grinned and threw another rock in the waves. "Oh well. It'll get better. Don't worry. It was lovely wasn't it?" Thomas asked.
Hannah smiled. "Yes it was. Gabriel is so happy. Anne as well." Thomas turned to her, a curious look on his face. "You don't seem sincere." He said. Hannah sighed and sat down on the sand. "I am sincere." Thomas sat down beside her. "Oh I know you're sincere about Gabriel and Anne. It's just about their happiness." Hannah looked away. "I'm jealous Thomas. I'm jealous of what they have. It's awful I know, you don't have to remind me." Hannah said, her fingers closing around a rock. "I understand your jealousy. But there will be others. Another boy who can sweep you off your feet and make you feel like you're flying." He said solemnly. Hannah stood up and flung the rock into the waves. "Thomas you were the only one who made me feel that way! There can never be a second one! It's impossible. If God meant for every person to meet their soul mate, then there must only be one. That was you. All future loves are therefore null and void. I had my chance." Hannah said angrily.
"Many people have married after the death of a loved one." Thomas said patiently. "But they are not the person they married before!" Hannah said, whirling around to face him. Thomas gazed at her, his green eyes penetrating her feelings. "No they aren't. But that shouldn't stop you. Loving me shouldn't stop you from loving another. And when and if you do look for another, don't want him to be another Thomas. I'm unique. You'll fall in love again someday Hannah. Don't worry. When this war is over, lots of things will change. And then there will be many changes, some for the better and some for the worst. Freedom Hannah. It will all end someday. I promise." Thomas whispered. As he spoke, he took her hand gently in his own and pressed it to his lips. Her eyes, her real, physical eyes opened. The brightly shining stars stuck out of the now dark sky. One star in particular, seemed to wink repeatedly. Hannah closed her eyes once more, shutting out the physical world and returning to the dream world that she so yearned to be reality.
Though it was late at night, when Hannah returned to the party, it was still running strong. Nathan stood off to the side with Margaret, the others having gone to bed. Benjamin was sitting on the beach with Charlotte, and Gabriel and Anne were dancing together. Hannah quietly approached Nathan and Margaret. "Having fun yet?" Hannah whispered. Nathan turned and smiled. "There's not much to do. Just dancing and watching Gabriel and Anne kiss and dance, kiss and dance, kiss and," Nathan said, rolling his eyes. "That's what married couples are supposed to do Nathan." Margaret cut in. "Do they need to do it so publicly though? That's my one question." Nathan replied. Hannah shook her head and chuckled softly.
"Would you dance with me?" Hannah turned to face the smiling brown eyes of Gabriel. But before she could speak, Nathan pushed Gabriel gently with his hand. "Sorry Gabriel, you're married." He said with a smile. Gabriel grinned and pushed him back, grasping Hannah's hand and leading her out onto the dance floor. "Where have you been? I noticed that you were gone." Gabriel said, taking hold of her hands. "You noticed? I thought you were too wrapped up in your new bride." Hannah said sarcastically. Gabriel smiled. "Of course I noticed. You are my friend. I want you to have a good time." He said sincerely. "Don't worry about me. Enjoy your night. I'm still trying to sort things out." She said softly.
"Sort what things out?" Gabriel asked, frowning. "Lots of things. My life after the war, my life without my family." She said. "Life without Thomas." Gabriel said knowingly. Hannah looked at him. "That too. I'm learning to cope with that more." She said softly. "You certainly seem to be coping with it better. You just seem to be more at peace." Hannah smiled and looked deeply into his eyes. "I am. I really am. Don't worry about me Gabriel. You have your whole life ahead of you. A new wife, most likely a future family, an end to this war. You've everything you could ever desire." She said happily. Gabriel smiled and cupped her face in his hands. "When this cruel war is over, I will come back for you. I will make sure that you are taken care of for as long as you need. I promise." Hannah didn't say anything but simply smiled. "I'm sure Anne would like to dance with you again." She said as the dance ended. "I'm going to have Anne for the rest of my life. She won't begrudge you and I one waltz." He said, twirling her in time to the music. As Hannah threw out her arm as she twirled and the sea of faces whirled about her, she almost thought she saw Thomas smiling.
In her imagination, her soul left her body resting on the beach and continued to walk, relishing the feeling of sand and water combined. She smiled and continued to walk as she approached the boy standing there at the water's edge, throwing rocks against the tide. His crisp white shirt was open and his pant legs were rolled up, allowing his tanned legs to feel knee-length water. He turned to her and smiled. "How are you Miss Ross?" He asked, his green eyes gleaming. She smiled and grabbed a rock from between her toes, pitching it into the ocean waves. "Alright. I've been better." She said with a smile. Thomas grinned and threw another rock in the waves. "Oh well. It'll get better. Don't worry. It was lovely wasn't it?" Thomas asked.
Hannah smiled. "Yes it was. Gabriel is so happy. Anne as well." Thomas turned to her, a curious look on his face. "You don't seem sincere." He said. Hannah sighed and sat down on the sand. "I am sincere." Thomas sat down beside her. "Oh I know you're sincere about Gabriel and Anne. It's just about their happiness." Hannah looked away. "I'm jealous Thomas. I'm jealous of what they have. It's awful I know, you don't have to remind me." Hannah said, her fingers closing around a rock. "I understand your jealousy. But there will be others. Another boy who can sweep you off your feet and make you feel like you're flying." He said solemnly. Hannah stood up and flung the rock into the waves. "Thomas you were the only one who made me feel that way! There can never be a second one! It's impossible. If God meant for every person to meet their soul mate, then there must only be one. That was you. All future loves are therefore null and void. I had my chance." Hannah said angrily.
"Many people have married after the death of a loved one." Thomas said patiently. "But they are not the person they married before!" Hannah said, whirling around to face him. Thomas gazed at her, his green eyes penetrating her feelings. "No they aren't. But that shouldn't stop you. Loving me shouldn't stop you from loving another. And when and if you do look for another, don't want him to be another Thomas. I'm unique. You'll fall in love again someday Hannah. Don't worry. When this war is over, lots of things will change. And then there will be many changes, some for the better and some for the worst. Freedom Hannah. It will all end someday. I promise." Thomas whispered. As he spoke, he took her hand gently in his own and pressed it to his lips. Her eyes, her real, physical eyes opened. The brightly shining stars stuck out of the now dark sky. One star in particular, seemed to wink repeatedly. Hannah closed her eyes once more, shutting out the physical world and returning to the dream world that she so yearned to be reality.
Though it was late at night, when Hannah returned to the party, it was still running strong. Nathan stood off to the side with Margaret, the others having gone to bed. Benjamin was sitting on the beach with Charlotte, and Gabriel and Anne were dancing together. Hannah quietly approached Nathan and Margaret. "Having fun yet?" Hannah whispered. Nathan turned and smiled. "There's not much to do. Just dancing and watching Gabriel and Anne kiss and dance, kiss and dance, kiss and," Nathan said, rolling his eyes. "That's what married couples are supposed to do Nathan." Margaret cut in. "Do they need to do it so publicly though? That's my one question." Nathan replied. Hannah shook her head and chuckled softly.
"Would you dance with me?" Hannah turned to face the smiling brown eyes of Gabriel. But before she could speak, Nathan pushed Gabriel gently with his hand. "Sorry Gabriel, you're married." He said with a smile. Gabriel grinned and pushed him back, grasping Hannah's hand and leading her out onto the dance floor. "Where have you been? I noticed that you were gone." Gabriel said, taking hold of her hands. "You noticed? I thought you were too wrapped up in your new bride." Hannah said sarcastically. Gabriel smiled. "Of course I noticed. You are my friend. I want you to have a good time." He said sincerely. "Don't worry about me. Enjoy your night. I'm still trying to sort things out." She said softly.
"Sort what things out?" Gabriel asked, frowning. "Lots of things. My life after the war, my life without my family." She said. "Life without Thomas." Gabriel said knowingly. Hannah looked at him. "That too. I'm learning to cope with that more." She said softly. "You certainly seem to be coping with it better. You just seem to be more at peace." Hannah smiled and looked deeply into his eyes. "I am. I really am. Don't worry about me Gabriel. You have your whole life ahead of you. A new wife, most likely a future family, an end to this war. You've everything you could ever desire." She said happily. Gabriel smiled and cupped her face in his hands. "When this cruel war is over, I will come back for you. I will make sure that you are taken care of for as long as you need. I promise." Hannah didn't say anything but simply smiled. "I'm sure Anne would like to dance with you again." She said as the dance ended. "I'm going to have Anne for the rest of my life. She won't begrudge you and I one waltz." He said, twirling her in time to the music. As Hannah threw out her arm as she twirled and the sea of faces whirled about her, she almost thought she saw Thomas smiling.